GEN 54 ~ Understanding the Human Genome
Project
Guide to Library Resources
How does information
flow from this scientific endeavor?
As scientists sequenced the human genome, they generated information
which was entered into publicly accessible databases,
and also reported their findings in scientific
journals. Other types of information
produced include “applied” medical
information for physicians or patients; information for
non-scientists seeking to understand the project; and information on the social
and ethical dimensions of the project.
Journalists have reported news about the project and its applications in
popular publications. Scholars have
written (and continue to write) on the implications of this research in diverse
fields. Books have been written about
the project and its impact.
Where can I find
background information?
In addition to background material emanating from the Human Genome Project Information website (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/elsi.shtml) the library has several reference sources that may be useful in gathering background information on your chosen topic, including the following:
Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics Ref. BJ63 .E44 1998
Encyclopedia of Bioethics Ref. QH332 .E52 1995
Encyclopedia of Ethics Ref. BJ63 .E45 2001
Encyclopedia of Genetics Ref. QH427 .E53 1999
Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects Ref. RB155.5 .W96 2000
AccessScience http://www.accessscience.com/server-java/Arknoid/science/AS/
Where can I find
books?
Books may provide you with useful information on the
ethical, legal and social implications of genetic research. To locate books in
our library, search the library
catalog by keyword ("search everything") or subject. When you
find an especially good book listed, use the "view" option to see
what subject headings are assigned to it, to locate similar books. Also, check
the bibliographies of useful books for additional sources.
If the BSC library does not have many books on your research topic, you can try searching WorldCat to see what is available locally or worldwide.
Where can I find articles from
diverse perspectives?
Starting from the library’s Indexes & Databases page...
→ the following indexes may be especially useful for finding ethical, legal, and social analyses:
Philosopher’s Index (1940-present)
Provides
indexing and abstracts from books and journals of philosophy and related
fields. No full text
Humanities FullText and Social Sciences Full Text (both1983-present)
Each of these
PsycInfo
(1872-present)
Created and maintained by the American Psychological Association, this database
is the key source for finding
research articles, books, and book chapters in the field of psychology. No full text, but many articles are available
online in PsycArticles and other databases.
LegalTrac (1988-present)
Indexes law reviews and other legal publications, as well as law-related articles from general interest publications. Includes full text of many articles.
SIRS Researcher is a full text database providing access to the full text of popular articles on many social and ethical issues.
→ For additional scientific articles
on the Human Genome Project, you might try:
General Science Full Text (1983-present)
Indexes and abstracts English language magazines and
journals in the sciences, with full text coverage of selected publications from
1995 to the present.
PubMed (1966 – present)
PubMed is the
National Library of Medicine's premier database. The MEDLINE file contains
bibliographic citations and abstracts from close to 4000 current biomedical
journals published in the
→ The library also subscribes to several general indexes (such as Academic Search Elite, Expanded Academic ASAP, Lexis Nexis Academic, and ProQuest Research Library) that offer the full text of many articles. These indexes cover a mixture of popular and scholarly journals in many fields; evaluate your sources carefully to check what you need!
Where can I find the
full text of articles that sound promising?
You will probably notice that not all of the articles that sound good are available full text in the database you are searching. To see if an article is available full text in another database, or if it's available in print or microfilm format in the Library, please consult Periodicals @ BSC on the Library home page. If you need an article (or book) that is not available locally, you can use Interlibrary Loan … but hurry!
What about web sites?
Use material that is freely available on the Internet very thoughtfully: evaluate, evaluate! There are many questionable or highly biased websites; there are also incredibly valuable resources that may help you in your research. Government- and academic-sponsored websites are often especially useful. For instance:
Human Genome Project Information (Dept. of Energy) http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml
National Human Genome Research Institute http://www.genome.gov/ (particularly their ELSI Research program)
Council for Responsible Genetics http://www.gene-watch.org/
Bioethics Resources on the Web (NIH) http://www.nih.gov/sigs/bioethics/
Bioethics.net (American Journal of Bioethics) http://bioethics.net/
National Information Resource on Ethics and Human Genetics http://www.georgetown.edu/research/nrcbl/nirehg/
How do I cite my
sources?
Use The Everyday Writer, sections 48 through 55. This book is available in the Bookstore, in the Library (Ready Ref. PE1408 .L86 2001) and on the campus network (under Server, Server B, W95apps, Everyday; double click on setup.exe).
Bedford-St. Martin's also offers basic documentation tips online at http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc.
Remember: As you
work through the research process,
please feel free to ask the library staff for help at any point.